I know it's a cheesy hashtag but, be honest, who couldn't use a bit of extra motivation under the current circumstances? I know I could and I have an extensive list of go-to resources to keep me inspired and on track with my audio drama goals. Here are a few that I have been relying on lately.
1. In Writing with Hattie Crisell
A simple interview podcast hosted by the fabulously understated Hattie Crisell, In Writing features journalists, authors, poets and playwrights sharing their workspaces and working processes with the host in intimate detail. She doesn't hassle or hurry them but lets the conversation unfold at its own pace as big names like Charlie Brooker, Jon Ronson, Grace Dent and Cressida Cowell slowly unveil their secrets and seduce you into thinking you can do it too.
Listen on iTunes, Spotify and all the usual places, follow Hattie at https://twitter.com/hattiehattie and read her summary of writing advice from the first series here, http://www.hattiecrisell.com/the-times/2020/2/10/how-to-write-tips-from-the-best.
(P.S. Hattie, if you should happen to see this, can I please request Caitlin Moran, Christopher Fowler and John Niven for the next season please?)
2. John Niven: The Fuck It List & The WCCS!
Speaking of John Niven and podcasts, the author and screenwriter appeared on a particularly excellent episode of the Writing Community Chat Show earlier this month. Fun fact; I once met John at the Groucho Club in London and optioned him to write a screenplay based on the story of the Bromley Contingent of punks that included Siouxsie Sioux, Steve Severin and Billy Idol. The film never happened (more on that soon), but he was a delight. He also didn't publish his first book, Kill Your Friends, until he was pushing forty, which is a great relief to me who recently passed this milestone (if you don't count 2020 - which I do not).
Unlike many writers he admits he wasn't particularly applied as a kid and definitely did not have the discipline to write in his 20s or throughout most of his 30s. So, don't feel bad for not getting up at 4am to work on your audio drama script whilst practising yoga and cutting your own wheatgrass shots - it just means you're human, like John, and if he can do it so can you!
You can in fact watch the chat on YouTube or find it in the Writing Community Chat Show feed on iTunes, Spotify, etc...
3. Even Douglas Adams Struggled
The BBC's audio dramatisation of Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy is a touchstone in audio drama but The Guardian revealed this week that he occasionally found writing torture. I can't say I've ever found it that bad, especially when I compare it to the time as a teenager when I was employed to clear gardens of dog mess, but it's comforting to know that even the greats had their off days. To cope Adam's wrote himself a 'General Note', which included sage advice such as...
“Writing isn’t so bad really when you get through the worry. Forget about the worry, just press on. Don’t be embarrassed about the bad bits. Don’t strain at them,”
See the note and read the full article at https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/mar/22/douglas-adams-note-to-self-reveals-author-found-writing-torture. Oh and remember...
4. The BBC Audio Drama Awards
Whilst scrolling through my Audio Dramatists list on Twitter this week, I accidentally discovered it was the 10th BBC Audio Drama Awards. Held virtually to, "celebrate the range, originality and cut-through quality of audio drama on air and online and give recognition to the creativity of actors, writers, producers, sound designers and others who work in this genre", it just extended my 'to listen' list by about a mile.
Check out the nominees and winners at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2FwQLMfjvLTX54NLxpFwLWm/audio-drama-awards-2021-the-winners.
5. Blackout
Unfortunately for the new additions on my 'to listen' list I just discovered Blackout, which has become my latest addiction. I know, I know, it came out, like, two whole years ago and you were totally into it before it went mainstream but I only just discovered it and I'm loving it so #whatever. (Seriously, what is it about Rami Malek though?).
That's it, more next Monday but in the meantime have a great week.
Neal